


Now or never

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 18:21:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20746676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: Realizing that it might be his final chance to make things right, he decides to try one last time





	Now or never

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!   
I stumbled upon a certain line while looking for inspiration, and fluff action was just too good to resist.   
Enjoy! <3

The first moment that you know you’re in love is always a moment to remember. Especially if you didn’t think it was in the cards for you. Ethan was going through one of those moments. It took him by surprise, he didn’t see it coming, and when he realized what was going on, it was already too late.

Only now, he wasn’t sure if he would ever get a chance to tell her that. All because he screwed up, unable to take one risk that was actually worth taking. They tried to stay away from each other, he eliminated any chance of them coming even remotely close to any kind of interactions outside of work.

And now he would see her walking around with scalpel jokey hot on her trail, and if he had to be honest, it made his blood boil. He knew that he shouldn’t, after all he was the one that turned her away, but he couldn’t help his jealousy.

Just when he thought things couldn’t be worse, they all got invited to the employee party, and Naveen would hear none of his excuses.

That’s how he ended up in the mess he was in right now. Alone on the sidelines, watching as she was enjoying herself with her friends. And _him._ Out of the blue, Bryce leaned in, whispering something into her ear, smirking. She leaned back abruptly, her face sobering up, losing the smile that once was there. Her lips moved as she spoke, and he could see a shadow pass the other man’s face before the smile came back on. She patted his arm gently and left, walking along the edge of the water, leaving the party behind.

_Now or never._

He went after her, not caring if anyone saw them. For once in his life, he left the whole world behind, focusing on what he wanted, doing what he wanted.

She was quiet, standing at the edge of the lake, looking over the gentle movement of the leaves that were floating on the surface. She was deep in her thoughts, so much so that she didn’t hear him approaching. When he placed his hand on her arm, she jumped slightly, startled by his presence.

“Dr. Ramsey! I didn’t hear you coming. What are you doing here?”

“I needed a moment to think, away from the commotion.”

“Oh. Well, I was about to head back anyway, I won’t disturb you.” she spoke slowly, carefully, aiming her footsteps towards the way she came there. His hand shot out, catching hers and lacing their fingers together.

‘Wait! I- I need to talk to you.”

She could sense the desperation that consumed him whole, and she nodded her head slightly, urging him to speak. He cleared his throat, thinking of what to say, and then, all of a sudden…

“I love you.” he shot out, freezing in place as his mind caught up on what he just did. “I- uh, I’m sorry, I just- I love you. I know that I messed up, it was me who said that we ant be together. And I absolutely understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore, and if you prefer Bryce. I may be destroying everything we worked for these past ten months, but I love you. And I cannot stand the thought of you in anybody else’s arms, knowing that I had a chance and didn’t try.”

He was speaking very fast, his words melting into a mess that she could barely understand. His breathing was elevated, eyes wide, cheeks flushed from the effort, and his hands were shaking, nervousness radiating from him. He was scared of losing her, and he knew that what he was doing could either make them or break them beyond the point of repair.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, and I know that I have no right to ask that of you, not after the way I treated you, but here I am. Begging you to give me one more chance to make things right. I love you, Claire. Be mine. _Please._”

His voice broke at the very end, but the way he was holding her hand in his, the way his eyes were locked on her, catching all the reactions, told her everything she needed to know. He has never been more sure of anything in his life, and if he were to lose her, he wanted to know that he did everything he could to prevent that.

She took in a shuddered breath, steadying herself, then standing on her tiptoes and pressing a delicate kiss on his cheek. His hand moved up her arm, unsure of what he could do, of what she’d allow him to do.

And then she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a long, tight hug, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. He embraced her, hesitantly at first, then more firmly, letting the sense of calm engulf him whole. Her mouth pressed against his collarbone softly, he could feel the movement on his skin as she whispered a gentle ‘okay’, lighting up a flicker of hope inside of him. Maybe his efforts weren’t in vain. Maybe he had a chance to finally be happy, to have her by his side again.

Hand in hand they walked back to the party, in complete silence. As their coworkers came into the view, out of habit, she moved to take her hand, but his grip tightened, lacing their fingers together. They shared a smile, a silent gesture of comfort.

He looked around, trying to decide how their colleagues reacted, but to his surprise, the world didn’t end, no bomb exploded, and he was still breathing. And she was still with him. A couple of people did a double take, but that was about it.

He looked back at Claire, baffled, and she smirked, a smile that just screamed ‘I told you so’ right into his face. She pulled on his hand, dragging him with her to the bench. They sat down, watching as the world around them lived on, the time seemingly slowing down. It was her and him. The only thing grounding them in reality was the feeling of their joined hands.


End file.
